Craft Beer Bonanza

We explore the East Bay's four newest spots to grab a tasty brew.

By Justin Goldman

Published: October 26, 2011

If you thought the craft beer craze had already reached a crescendo, think again: New kegs are being tapped all across the East Bay faster than a fraternity rush at UCSB can shotgun a can of Milwaukee’s Best. Diablo popped into the four newest beer halls.

Creek Monkey Tap House

Situated in an old Victorian house right next to the creek in downtown Martinez (if you lean out over the balcony you can see the famous Martinez beaver dam), this laidback bar with about two dozen taps focuses on Northern California brews and sustainable pub grub. We tasted beers from Drake’s, Bear Republic, and Rubicon (anything done in a German style, such as the Bear Republic Roggenbier was a dollar off on our visit in a nod to Oktoberfest) while noshing on grilled fish tacos and absurdly rich and gooey mac ’n’ cheese. Creek Money also periodically serves a number of house-brewed beers.611 Escobar St., Martinez, (925) 228-8787, creekmonkey.com

Handles Gastropub

The newest iteration of the Pleasanton Hotel’s bar, Handles offers around 30 draft beers, plus 16 wines on tap. The menu is high-end pub style, ranging from sandwiches (I had the Aztec burger, served on ciabatta with avocado and grilled peppers) to smoked pork loin and grilled wild salmon. The beer list, again, is NorCal oriented, although there’s a bottle selection with some nice East Coast and Belgian options. The slightly older, after-work Pleasanton crowd enjoys its drinks in the comfortable, dark wood, hotel bar setting.855 Main St., Pleasanton, (925) 399-6690, handlesgastropub.com

ØL Beer Cafe

The much anticipated (and unfortunately named—seriously, I have no idea how to type that) Walnut Creek beer café and bottle shop from one of the cofounders of Oakland’s craft beer nirvana The Trappist opened to a packed house on September 17. The eighteen taps lean toward European imports—on our visit, we had the Belgian Urthel Saissonaire and the unbelievably delicious Danish Mikkeler Black Hole, with a few NorCal brews, like the Linden Street Black Lager, mixed in. In addition, more than a hundred different bottled beers are stocked on shelves next to and in fridges across from the bar in a set up reminiscent of San Francisco’s City Beer Store. The ceiling is high and seating is fairly sparse, giving the bar an airy feel, and the food menu tilts toward appetizers—cheese plates, sausages, olives, and the like.1541 Giammona Dr., Walnut Creek, (925) 210-1147, beer-shop.org

Tap 25

Also opening in mid-September, Tap 25 offers an alternative to the wine tasting rooms in downtown Livermore. The bar has a simple, bare bones interior, primarily decorated with posters from the Dogfish Head Brewery. The selection of 25 beers (hence the name) focuses on American craft brews, with a mix of California and East Coast (mmm … Ommegang Abbey Ale) mixed in. The beers come in five gallon kegs (instead of the standard 15.5), so they get rotated out frequently, even though the bar is only open Thursday through Sunday. Tap 25 also offers a small bar bites menu—tacos, bruschetta, panini sandwiches—prepared by another Backsmith Square restaurant, Swirl.25 S. Livermore Ave., Livermore, (925) 294-8970, taptwentyfive.com

Sign up to get our e-newsletter and receive exclusive invites to special events, parties, and happenings.

Faces

During the fifth annual Celebrate John Muir Health gala, more than 700 guests gathered at the Concord Jet Center at Buchanan Field and enjoyed cocktails,
a stellar dinner, music, dancing, and a live auction. The sold-out, outer space–themed party raised a record $2.25 million to support John Muir Health’s neurosciences services.

The Redford Center held its inaugural benefit at August Hall in San Francisco, honoring rapper Jaden Smith with The Robert Redford Award for his environmental activism. After the ceremony, guests enjoyed libations, bites, and a performance by actor Sean Hayes—raising more than $275,000 for the environmental nonprofit.

Common Sense, one of the nation’s leading technology nonprofits, held its 15th annual celebration at San Francisco City Hall. The night consisted of a cocktail reception and a sit-down awards dinner that recognized the visionary policy-makers, educators, and media creators—including Oakland native and Black Panther writer-director Ryan Coogler—who are helping children thrive in the digital world.

Pledge to Humanity hosted its 10th annual fundraising gala at the Round Hill Country Club in Alamo, bringing in more than $300,000 for the nonprofit’s local and international programs that empower young change-makers to participate in service opportunities. The soiree featured a cocktail reception with hors d’oeuvres, a multicourse dinner, live and silent auctions, and dancing.

Approximately 150 gardening aficionados came together at the Hilton Concord to support the Ruth Bancroft Garden in Walnut Creek and raised $72,000 over the course of the evening. Attendees were treated to dinner, drinks, auctions, and a magic show. Walnut Creek Councilmember Cindy Silva was honored with the Golden Barrel Award for Philanthropy on behalf of the garden.

Oakland’s Chabot Space and Science Center transformed into a magical, mysterious wonderland for its annual gala, which raised more than $240,000 for science education. The evening featured specialty cocktails, a multicourse
dinner, a live auction, and a Halloween-themed after-party.

Approximately 1,400 people participated in the annual family-friendly fundraiser at Pleasant Hill Middle School, which featured an array of activities—including mini golf, carnival games, face painting, and a pumpkin patch—as well as food trucks, music, and dancing. Proceeds benefited the Down Syndrome Connection of the Bay Area, which has provided vital programs, resources, and support for individuals with Down syndrome for 20 years.

In celebration of its popular November food issue, Diablo magazine hosted its 15th annual culinary extravaganza, which brought in nearly $4,000 for the Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano. Guests came together in Walnut Creek’s Broadway Plaza to enjoy mouthwatering fare from top East Bay restaurants; pours from numerous wineries, breweries, and distilleries; and DJ beats.

East Bay arts supporters found themselves in good spirits at this fundraiser for the Lamorinda Arts Council, as they sampled more than 20 craft cocktails created by local bartenders vying for the Audience Favorite, Art of Staging, Top Amateur, and Mixologist of the Year awards. The cocktail tasting and competition took place at Orinda Theatre Square and raised more than $10,000.

More than 120 guests joined Contra Costa Oncology for a Mexican-
themed bash at Rotator Taproom in Walnut Creek, raising nearly $5,000 for the Cancer Support Community San Francisco Bay Area. Attendees noshed on tasty bites from the Madd Mex Cantina food truck, sipped micheladas and beer, and donned mustaches in honor of Movember—an annual multinational event that encourages men to grow mustaches to raise awareness of men’s health issues.

Metallica and Janet Jackson headlined the ninth annual benefit concert for UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospitals. Thousands attended the performances at Bill Graham Civic Auditorium and Civic Center Plaza as well as the pre- and post-show parties in San Francisco City Hall, raising $10 million for medical research.